Processes are known for making shaped ceramic materials using natural objects as a mold. However, when such processes are used to attempt to make complicated shapes, many problems often arise. In the first place, because of the high shrinkage of most ceramic materials, cracking of the ceramic body often occurs upon drying the green body and/or upon firing it. In the second place, inasmuch as moisture often is present in the pores of the green body, the evaporation of this moisture during drying or firing often causes cracking of the body.
It is an object of this invention to provide a ceramic batch material which is uniquely suitable for forming complicated shapes.
It is another object of this invention to provide a ceramic batch material which will expand during thermal processing and will assume the shape of a mold in which it is situated.
It is another object of this invention to provide an intermediate material which is comprised of the ceramic batch material and which can be used to form a fired, shaped body.
It is another object of this invention to provide a multiplicity of objects and compositions which can be made from the ceramic batch material discussed above.
It is another object of this invention to provide a process for growing plants with some of the fired objects of this invention.